1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to a plier type tool for cutting excess material off of cable ties and leaving a smooth round cut across the cable tie.
2. Background of Invention
Plastic straps or bands with a self locking head on one end and ridges across the strap on one side that are designed to form a locked tie loop when the free end of the strap is threaded through the self locking head on the other end of the strap are known in the industry as Cable Ties and sometimes referred to as Wire Ties. Cable ties are use to secure many things such as holding a number of electrical wires together in a bundle or securing wires or a cable to a beam or wall, and are being used in more and more applications as time goes on. When a cable tie is used there is an unwanted length of tie extending beyond the tie locking head. To remove this unwanted length of cable tie the present art is to use a knife, scissors, nippers or shears to cut off the unwanted length of tie. All of these tools make a square cut on the end of the tie thereby leaving sharp edges on the corners of the cut end of the tie. These sharp edges can cause pain by pricking and cutting the skin of the person making contact with them, thereby providing a source of infection. Since cable ties are often used in tight confined spaces such as under the hood of automobiles, in motor hatches and between bulkheads on boats, wings and fuselage of airplanes, and the like, being pricked by these sharp edges is often unavoidable. What is needed is a tool that will cut off the unwanted length of the tie leaving a smooth rounded end on the tie. The tool must be an efficient cutting device that can be effectively used in confined spaces. The tool of this invention is shown on the drawings as FIGS. 1 through 6 and can be used effectively in tight confined spaces because it can cut the cable tie from one or more directions and provides a means for guiding the tie into the tool and securing the tie in the proper location for making the desired round cut across the tie.
3. Description of Related Art
Presently to cut off the unwanted length of tie a knife, scissors, nippers, or shears are used. Each of these tools make a straight cut across the end of the tie leaving sharp corners on the edge of the cut. There are a few tools that were designed and patented to perform task that are totally un related to cutting cable ties but conceivably can make a round cut on a cable tie, however, to try to use these tools for cutting a round end on a cable tie would be inefficient, clumsy, and in tight confined spaces difficult or impossible to use. In all cases more than one tool would be needed to cut cable ties from the front and both sides of the tool. There are special tools that have been patented that will grip the tie and pull it tight around the bundle of wires, cables, etc and cut the unwanted portion of the tie off next to the self locking head, but all of these special toots make a straight cut across the tie leaving sharp corners on the end of the cut tie.
Tull {U.S. Pat. No. 422,666 patented Mar. 4, 1890} invented a harness-tool for cutting slots in straps for the insertion of the tongues of buckles. To accomplish this task Tull designed a cutting edge that when bolted to one jaw of a plier type tool would cut a slot in a strap when the cutting edge was pressed against the other jaw of the plier type tool. Tull's tool will only cut a cable tie with the desired round end when the tie is inserted from the right side. It will not make the desired cut when the tie needs to be cut from the left side or through the nose of the tool. Tull's tool does not provide a guide for the proper placement of the tie in relation to the cutting edge to insure a smooth round cut across the tie.
Osborne et al (U.S. Pat. No. 2,624,940 patented Jan. 13, 1953) designed a tool to punch notches in computer cards. The design provides a receptacle below the punch to hold the punched peaces of card. A bottom plate is secured to the bottom of the receptacle by screws. It is conceivable that by removing the bottom plate a cable tie can be inserted through the nose of the tool and out the bottom and cut off by the punch, however the cut would leave a notch in the end of the tie inserted of a round end. In order to make a round cut on the end of the tie the tie would have to be inserted from the rear of the tool and out the nose. This would be an extremely clumsy method of cutting a cable tie and since the tie is securing a bundle of wires or the like the bundle of wires would prevent the tie from being cut next to the locking head. The tool also has the disadvantage of not being able to cut a tie from both sides. Also, the tool does not provide guides for positioning the tie.
Sylvester {U.S. Pat. No. 813,598 patented Feb. 27, 1906} designed cutting-nippers with circular cutting-bits for cutting wire, nails, rods, rivets, or bolts. The tool is designed with two pivot points in order to provide the cutting power necessary to cut thick wire, nails, and the like. Cable ties are made of plastic and can easily be cut with a tool having only one pivot point. Two pivot points make for unnecessary expense and a bulky tool. Using this tool to cut cable ties in the same manner that it would be used to cut nails, wire, etc would leave a convex cut on the end of the tie with sharper edges on the corners of the cut than would be left with a straight cut across the tie. To make a round cut on the end of the tie it would require the tie to be inserted from the side and angled to the rear of the tool. This would be a very clumsy and undesirable way to cut a cable tie. Sylvester's tool also does not provide a means of guiding the tie into the cutting edges to insure the desired round cut across the tie
Filan, U.S. Pat. No. 1,893,737. and Petersen, U.S. Pat. No. 2,590.031 were evaluated but are considered irrelevant since the tools of both patents would make a straight cut across the cable tie. In addition the tools are bulky and would be difficult if not impossible to use in confined spaces. Also the tools do not provide a means to guide and secure the tie in the proper position for cutting.